ITBP job aspirants fall from speeding train; 15 dead

Shahjahanur/Bareilly: At least 15 youths
were killed and over 12 injured when they fell down from the
roof of two speeding trains while returning from Bareilly
after submitting documents for jobs in ITBP in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

Nine, travelling atop the Himgiri Express, were
killed when they were hit by an overbridge near Shahjahanpur
while another ITBP job-seeker died when he fell down from the
Traveni Express in Hardoi district.

Agitated over the death of the youths, the job
aspirants went on a rampage at Shahjahanpur station torching
two bogies of the Jammu-Tawi Express and manhandling the
driver of the Himgiri train.

Shahjahanpur District Magistrate Ajay Chauhan said
train driver Mohammad Asif was assaulted by the unruly mob but
maintained only one coach was torched.

UP Special DGP Brij Lal told PTI in Lucknow that nine
youths were killed when they fell from the Himgiri Express
near Roja station, barely four-km from Shahjahanpur railway
station.

Over 12 ITBP aspirants were also injured, some of
them critically, in the accident, he said.

The death toll was expected to rise as some youths
also fell into Khannaut river, reports said.

Earlier, Brij Lal said the accident occurred when the
youths came in contact with a live overhead electrical wire.

"Identity of the nine youths killed in Shahjahanpur
accident is yet to be ascertained," he said.

A 25-year-old job-seeker returning home after taking
part in the ITBP recruitment drive died after falling from the
Triveni Express near Balamau railway station in Hardoi.

He was identified as Satyabhan Singh, police said.
"Two special trains from Roja and Shahjahanpur have
been arranged for tranporting the youths to their respective
destinations," the DM said.

Some trains were cancelled and diverted in view of
the accidents.

Over 1.5 lakh youths, vying for ITBP jobs, had
reached Bareilly to submit forms for recruitment in the force.

Earlier in the day, thousands of ITBP aspirants went
on a rampage in Bareilly torching a number of vehicles after
they failed to submit their forms due to alleged mismanagement
of the authorities.

The youths, who had gathered at the camp to submit
their recruitment forms and obtain a token for physical test,
failed to get their documents deposited.

Furious over this, they set ablaze seven buses, five
of them belonging to the state roadways, some two-wheelers and
a petrol pump, officials said.

The agitating youths also pelted stones at AIR and
Doordarshan offices.

Yesterday, the job-seekers had clashed with farmers
over plucking of sugarcane from their fields at Bukhara in
Bareilly district.

The farmers allegedly opened fire as youths torched
their cane fields and set afire a few shops.

However, no one was injured in the violence, police
said.

The Special DGP said applications were invited from
11 states for the post of tradesmen in ITBP.

He said over 80,000 job-seekers had reached Bareilly
yesterday and the number swelled to around 1.5 lakh this
morning.

Lal said a large number of aspirants were called by
the ITBP authorities but they did not coordinate with the
local administration.

"This led to chaos," he said adding adequate PAC
and police were deployed to restore calm.

In a statement, the ITBP said the force`s DIG at
Bareilly had duly informed the District Magistrate on January
17 about the recruitment drive.